Samantha Mathis | |
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 Mathis at Nightmare Weekend Richmond in 2023 | |
| Born | (1970-05-12)May 12, 1970 (age 55) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
| Mother | Bibi Besch |
| Relatives |
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Samantha Mathis (born May 12, 1970)[1] is an American actress andtrade union leader who served as the Vice President, Actors/Performers ofSAG-AFTRA from 2015 to 2019.[a] The daughter of actressBibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut inPump Up the Volume (1990), and later co-starred or appeared in such films asFernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992),Super Mario Bros. (1993),The Thing Called Love (1993),Little Women (1994),The American President (1995),Jack and Sarah (1995),Broken Arrow (1996),American Psycho (2000),The Punisher (2004), andAtlas Shrugged: Part II (2012). She has also had recurring roles onThe Strain as New York City Councilwoman Justine Feraldo, and onBillions as Taylor Mason Capital COO Sara Hammon.
Mathis was born inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of Donald Mathis and Austrian-American actressBibi Besch.[3][4][5] Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and Mathis was brought up by her mother. She relocated with her mother toLos Angeles, California, at the age of five.[6]
Besch tried to discourage Mathis from pursuing acting, but growing up on locations, in theaters, and in acting classes, Mathis knew she wanted to act.[3][4] She decided to become an actress at the age of twelve.[7]
Mathis began acting professionally at the age of 16.[8] Her first job was a commercial for "Always Slender Pads – Just for Teens".[4] She co-starred in the television seriesAaron's Way andKnightwatch from 1988 to 1989. Her first starring role in afeature film was that of Nora inPump Up the Volume (1990), oppositeChristian Slater, whom she briefly dated at the time.[3][6] Mathis dyed her natural blonde hair black for the role in an effort to change her image from sweet and innocent to strong-willed.[7]
Mathis appeared in thetelevision filmsExtreme Close-up,83 Hours 'til Dawn andTo My Daughter in 1990. Mathis and Slater had voice roles in the animated filmFernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). She next appeared in the comedyThis Is My Life (1992), written and directed byNora Ephron, playing an insecure teenager.[8] Mathis appeared in the playFortinbras inNew York City in October 1992.[9]Super Mario Bros. (1993), in which she playedPrincess Daisy from the popularNintendo video game, was abox-office bomb but gained acult following since its release.[10]
Mathis co-starred withRiver Phoenix inThe Thing Called Love (1993).[11] She appeared in the 1994 film adaptation ofLittle Women, and inHow to Make an American Quilt (1995), both starringWinona Ryder.[12] She then appeared inThe American President (1995), playing the assistant to thePresident of the United States. Mathis costarred with Christian Slater again, along withJohn Travolta, inJohn Woo'sBroken Arrow (1996). She took a little over a year off from acting after her mother died in 1996 from breast cancer.[13][3]
Mathis later appeared inAmerican Psycho (2000), a film adaptation ofBret Easton Ellis's 1991 novelof the same name. She starred inAttraction (2000) and inThe Simian Line (2001). She starred in theTNT televisionminiseriesThe Mists of Avalon (2001). Mathis starred withThomas Jane inThe Punisher (2004). She had a guest role on the ABC television showLost as Olivia Goodspeed. She played Jane Fonda's daughter in the Broadway show "33 Variations".[14] Her indie filmLebanon, PA (2010) had its world premiere at the 2010SXSW Film Festival. She appeared in anoff-Broadway production of the play,Love, Loss, and What I Wore, atNew York City'sWestside Theatre in October 2011.[15]
In 2013, Mathis played psychiatrist Alice Calvert on theCBS television seriesUnder the Dome, based on a novel byStephen King.[16] In 2014, she joined the cast of theFX horror drama seriesThe Strain as Justine Feraldo, aNew York City councilwoman forStaten Island.[17]
In October 2015, Mathis was elected National Vice President, Actors/Performers ofSAG-AFTRA.[18] She was re-elected in 2017.[2]
In 2019, she appearedOff-Broadway in the role of Kate Conlee inMake Believe, a new play by Bess Wohl staged at theSecond Stage Theater.Michael Greif directed.[19]
Her 2020 musicalWhisper House was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[14]
Mathis met actorRiver Phoenix on the set of the 1993 filmThe Thing Called Love. Soon thereafter, she broke up with boyfriend andSuper Mario Bros. co-starJohn Leguizamo and started a relationship with Phoenix.[11] She was with Phoenix on October 31, 1993, the night he died atCedars-Sinai Hospital of adrug overdose after collapsing outsideThe Viper Room inWest Hollywood, California.[3][20]
In the autopsy report theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department detailed that Mathis refused several times to give more details surrounding the death of Phoenix and had told deputies at the time of Phoenix's death that she had no knowledge of his drug use.[21] Mathis took a role in the filmJack and Sarah (1995), which was shot inLondon, to get out of the country after Phoenix's death because of the excessive press coverage.[6]
Mathis spoke for the first time publicly about the death of Phoenix in an interview withThe Guardian in 2018.[22] She elaborated on the circumstances surrounding Phoenix's death: "I knew something was wrong that night, something I didn't understand. I didn't see anyone doing drugs but he was high in a way that made me feel uncomfortable...the heroin that killed him didn't happen until he was in the Viper Room. I have my suspicions about what was going on, but I didn't see anything."[23]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Aaron's Way | Roseanne Miller | Main cast; Season 1 |
| Circle of Love | Roseanne Miller | Television film | |
| 1988–89 | Knightwatch | Jacqueline 'Jake' Monroe | Main cast; Season 1 |
| 1989 | Cold Sassy Tree | Lightfoot McClendon | Television film |
| CBS Summer Playhouse | Mary Dunne | Episode: "American Nuclear" | |
| 1990 | Extreme Close-Up | Laura | Television film |
| 83 Hours 'Til Dawn | Julie Burdock | ||
| To My Daughter | Anne Carlston | ||
| 1999 | The Outer Limits | Marie Wells | Episode: "The Shroud" |
| Freak City | Ruth Ellison | Television film | |
| 1999–2000 | Harsh Realm | Sophie Green | 4 Episodes |
| 2000 | Mermaid | Rhonda | Television film |
| 2001 | First Years | Ann Weller | Main cast; Season 1 |
| Night Visions | Diane Ballard | Episode: "The Passenger List/Bokor" | |
| The Mists of Avalon | Gwenhwyfar | Miniseries | |
| 2002 | PBS Hollywood Presents | Lisa Morrison | Episode: "Collected Stories" |
| 2003 | The Twilight Zone | Rachel Stark | Episode: "Into the Light" |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hilary Barclay | Episode: "Control" | |
| 2004 | Salem's Lot | Susan Norton | Miniseries Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television |
| 2005 | Fathers and Sons | Jenny | Television film |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dr. Christine Ansel | Episode: "Saving Face" | |
| 2006 | Secrets of a Small Town | Samantha Steele | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Absolution | Bettina Lloyd | Television film | |
| House | Maria Palko | Episode: "Clueless" | |
| Nightmares & Dreamscapes | Karen Evans | Episode: "The Fifth Quarter" | |
| 2007 | Lost | Olivia Goodspeed | Episode: "The Man Behind the Curtain" |
| A Stranger's Heart | Callie Morgan | Television film | |
| Mitch Albom's For One More Day | Young Pauline 'Posey' Benetto | ||
| 2009 | Grey's Anatomy | Melinda Prescott | 3 Episodes |
| Royal Pains | Amy Hill | Episode: "Wonderland" | |
| 2010 | Unanswered Prayers | Lorrie Beck | Television film |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Donna | Episode: "The Hero" |
| 2013 | Under the Dome | Alice Calvert | Recurring role; Season 1 |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Bonita Yarrow | Episode: "The Line" |
| 2014 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Catherine Summers | Episode: "Reasonable Doubt" |
| 2015–16 | The Strain | Justine Feraldo | Main cast; Seasons 2–3 |
| 2019 | Billions | Sara Hammon | Recurring role; Season 4 |
| Into the Dark | Dr. Victoria Harris | Episode: "All That We Destroy" | |
| Bull | Avery Kress | Episode: "The Flying Carpet" | |
| 2020 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Melanie Franks | Episode: "Swimming With The Sharks" |
| 2023 | 12 Desperate Hours | Val Jane | Television film |
| International | |
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| National | |
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| Other | |
